TOURISM VICTORIA ‘SPOTTED BY LOCALS’ CASE STUDY

Inspiration by Local Celebrities.

Campaign Period:

Campaign Overview:

The ‘Spotted by Locals’ campaign chose Victorian personalities such as comedian Dave Hughes, foodie and MasterChef contestant Debra Sederlan, designer Arabella Ramsay and Pop-rock chanteuse Ella Hooper­on their high country heartland journey to rediscover attractions, wide open spaces, good food and wine and rugged beauty of their her hometown region.

The diversity and richness of regional Victoria experiences were showcased through a range of editorial destinations featuring a collection of rich images, articles and videos following the travels of the talent, as they rediscovered their hometown.

Campaign Objectives

Shift Perceptions

The challenge facing Tourism Victoria was the decline in Melbournians travelling within regional Victoria.
Tourism Victoria wanted to shift perceptions of regional Victoria to that of a domestic short-break destination.

Target Audience

Lifestyle Leaders

The target market was Lifestyle Leaders, primarily in the Melbourne metro market (including surrounding suburbs), and also in regional Victoria.

Strategy

Shine the light on hidden gems

Under the campaign line of ‘Spotted by Locals’ well known Victorians were commissioned to embark on a journey back to their regional stomping grounds, to shine the light on local hidden gems which the target could experience and enjoy in regional Victoria.

Digital Hub

A digital content hub was designed to educate Melbournians about holiday options in regional Victoria and deliver inspirational content across various platforms to suit their holiday planning needs. Stories were featured across relevant sites on The Age website including Traveller, Good Food and Daily Life, whilst Stayz gift vouchers were offered as an incentive to encourage engagement.

Mobile & Tablet

The conversation continued across the Fairfax travel section on mobile and tablet.

Video

Inspirational video stories were curated by Fairfax travel experts and placed on the digital hub, revealing the detail and passion of the talent on their journey back home.

Social Media Hub

A Social Media hub allowed potential travellers and locals to engage and share their own ‘Spotted by Locals’ stories and tips, housing all public tweets and images via a dedicated Stackla page, enabling the conversation to be maintained.A Social Media hub allowed potential travellers and locals to engage and share their own ‘Spotted by Locals’ stories and tips, housing all public tweets and images via a dedicated Stackla page, enabling the conversation to be maintained.

Extension into Print

An editorial series across Good Weekend, Sunday Life, themelbournemagazine, Epicure and Life & Style, featuring inspirational content on regional Victoria, highlighting the ambassadors for each region.

Smashing Results

59,976 Unique Visitors

Stayz website experienced a 20% increase in Victorian enquires and a 12% increase in Victorian bookings

7 of the 8 regions experienced impact in visitation intention by +7.6%